Winding machine



Nov. 4, 1958 RocKsTRoM WINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July ll. 1956 ILE IN VEN TOR: fo/v4@ fdc/mem Nov. 4, 1958 l.. RocKsTRoM 2,858,997

WINDING MACHINE Filed July l1, 1956 y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SOURCE OF ELECTRlC, ENERG\j N IN VEN TOR.-

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Nov. 4, 1958 RocKsTRoM 2,858,997

' WINDING MACHINE v Filed July 11, 1956 -s sheet's-sheet s Ta. 5'.- Ti. 4.

0F WEB /5 APPL/ED WINDING MACHINE Leonard Rockstrom, Madison, N. J., assignor to Cameron Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York p Application lu-ly 11, 1956, serial No. 597,289

claims. (cl. 242-66)- This invention relates generally to machines for win'dweb material into the form of a roll; such machines being used, for example, when it is desired to unroll such web material from one roll to subject the material to converting, printing or some other form of processing and then, in a continuous operation, to rewind the processed material into the form of another roll.

More particularly, the invention relates to improved means for thus rewinding such web material either into a so-called soft roll which is more or less loosely wound or into a hard or tightly wound roll. The need for deriving a condition' of either softness or hardness usually depends upon thenature of the web material and/ or the nature of the processing to which it has been subjected. In rewinding web material into a soft roll, it is necessary to provide ne control of the application of the web to the rewind roll to substantially minimize or obviate tension in each turn of the web as it is applied to the latter roll. In rewinding web material into a hard roll, on the other hand, tension must be maintained in the web as it is applied to the rewind roll.

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is the provision of improved means, in or'associated with a winding machine, for minimizing or nullifying tension in each turn of the webas `it is applied to the rewind roll to derive soft-roll winding or for maintaining tension in -the web to derive hard-roll winding. These and other more or less obvious objects are accomplished by the present invention of which two preferred embodiments are shown, for illustrative purposes, in the accompanying drawings without, however, limiting the invention' to the two disclosed embodiments.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric, more or less diagrammatic xview of an embodiment of this invention in which certain hydraulic means `are employed.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view` of another embodiment of the invention which differs from that of Fig. l chiey in that electrical rather than hydraulic means are em- :ployed therein.

Figs. 3-6, inclusive, are diagrams, applicable to'either of the machines of the embodiments of Fig. l or Fig. 2, showing several possible variations in the use of said machines and the results of such variations in use.

Referring to Fig. l, it should first be understood that, while all necessary operational parts are included, said figure includes little or nothing of a frame of a machine or of supports for the various operating parts. Those skilled in the related art will readily understand the manner in which the operating parts are supported in a suitable frame.

As shown in Fig. 1, a web W of flexible material,

such as, for example, paper, is drawn continuously from a supply roll (not shown) and pursues an undulating course indicated by arrows A1, A2, A3 and A4 to a rewind roll 10. In pursuing said course, the web passes United States Patentl M' `driven, in the directions shown by arrows thereon, by a `first-around the underside of-a roller 12, thence upward t 2,858,997 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 ICC Acontact with a cutting roller or mandrel 18, disposed at -one side of the web, and between said mandrel and a rotary, circular knife 20 which cooperates with the mandrel 18 to slit the web longitudinally into parts W1 and W2.

The web parts W1 and W2 pass in un'ison from knife 20 partiallyabout a rewind roller `or drum 24 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings, thence counterclockwisely about shaft 22 and the previously accumulated portion of roll 10. In winding onto roll 10, the outer layer of web material passes between roll 10 and another rewind roller or drum 26. Thus, after the mentioned cutting or slitting, the web accumulates on shaft 22 as rewound rolls 10A and 10B of processed web maaterial. The shaft or roller 22 is not directly driven but it and web material accumulating thereon derive an indirect, frictional drive from either or both of the two rewind rollers or drums 24 and 26 by reason of the fact that the roll or rolls 10A and 10B of web material accumulating on the roller 22 are supported only upon said rollers 24 and 26 and that either or both of the rollers 24, 26 are driven by means hereinafter described.

Roller or drum 26 is driven by a motor 28 through gears 30 and 34 and a clutch 36 which, by means hereinafter described, is controlled to operate in coordination with braking means shown diagrammatically as a hydraulic brake 38. It should be noted that the brake 38 may be in' the form of a gear pump adapted, if driven, to pump liquid and to derive a braking effect from pumped liquid which is throttled against movement. `Roller or drum 24 is similarly driven by the motor 28 through gears 30 and 32 and a similar clutch 36a which, like clutch 36, is controlled to operate in coordination with braking means 38a which are substantially similar to braking means 38. The brakes 38, 38a are connected to the ends of shafts or drums 26, 24, respectively, to apply their braking effect to said drums separately and Vat diierent times.

The ends of the shaft or roller 22 are journaled in retained in vertical grooves 43 in opposite,.similar, sideframe uprights 45 of the frame (not shown) of the machine. Thus, the bearings 39, by their stated sliding cooperation with uprights 45, guide the shaft 22 and roll 10 vertically while said roll rests upon and is frictionally driven by either or both of rollers 24 and 26. The frictional engagement, affording said driving action, may be enhanced, if desired, by using a vertically guided, socalled riding-roll (not shown) which rests upon the roll 10; and such a riding-roll may be power-driven, to aid in driving roll 10, if so desired As illustrated, rollers 12, 14 and 16 are advantageously motor 40 through the medium of a chain 42 which is in driving association with a driving sprocket 44 of said motor and driven sprockets 46 and 48 rigidly associated 'respectively with rollers 12 and 16 and with a sprocket 50 which is rigidly coupled to and drives a pinion 52 which, in turn, drives a pinion 54 rigidly associated with roller 14.

The chief function of the'rollers 12, 14 and 16 is to draw the web material from a supply roll (not shown) and move the web at controlled speed toward the rewind rolls 10A and 10B. The operation of rollers 24 and 26 is so coordinated to the operation of driven rollers 12, 14 and 16 as to tension the portion of the web moving between rollers 16 and 24 to the proper extent to enable slitting ofthe web to be accomplished by the knife 20 as already described. The cutting roller or mandrel 18 may advantageously be driven in any suitable way as by a separate motor (not shown) or directly by motor or indirectly by the latter through a power take-off sprocket 56 rigidly associated with roller 16, which take-off sprocket, through a chain 58, drives a sprocket-*60.rigidly associated with said cutting mandrel. The knife 20.also may be driven, .if desired, by any .suitablemeans lt will be readily understood, by those` familiar with-the art under discussion, that, if the rollers 24 and-26am the same in circumference, if gears 32 .and v3:4 :are .the same in circumference, if both .clutches 36 'and 36a remain engaged, andif brakes 38 and 38a were omitted or rendered inoperative, the rollers 24 and 26, :by turning roll 10, would cause the latter to draw web material thereonto without any particular vemphasis on the 'softness or hardness of the accumulating Vroll 10. Under such conditions, the density of roll 10 would depend largely upon the nature of the material being rewound.

It is considered desirable to have certain types of web material, as, for example, glazed or smooth papers, wound rather loosely into what are commonly known as soft rolls, while it may be desired to wind various other types of web material into relatively hard or tightly wound rolls. The need or desire foi-.either hard-roll or soft-roll winding might also be-dictated by the nature of the processing to which the web material is subjected.

According to the present invention as illustrated in Fig. l, soft-roll winding is achieved by means which con trol the operation of roller 26 in such manner .that it is given a tendency to oppose the movement of the web material -past it as the latter becomes incorporated into the rolls'10A and 10B; and to achieve hard-roll Winding, such an opposing tendency is given to the roller 24 instead of to roller 26. This is done, for soft-roll winding, by controlled operationrof the-clutch36 and brake 38, and, for i hard-roll winding, by similarly controlled operation ofthe clutch36a and the lbrake 38a.

.The means vfor controlling the operation of the clutches 36 and 36aand brakes 38 and 38a include a'servo-motor 64 for operating clutch 36, a servomotor 64a for operating clutch 36a, an oil tank 66, a pipe 68 with two branches arranged to pass oil from said tank to the brakes 38 and 38a, pipes 70 and 70a for passing oil from saidbrakes to a suitable selector valve 73, a pipe 72 for conducting oil from valve 73 to asuitable throttle valve 74, and a pipe V'76 for passing oilfrom valve 74 back to the tank 66. A Vby-pass Vvalve 77 is suitably connected between pipes 72 and 76, .in parallel with the throttle Valve 74. Said control -means also include a cam member 78 rigidly xed upon one of the bearings 39 to rise withthe latter as web material accumulates upon the roll 10 and thereby actuate a throttle-control lever y80 of the valve 74 to cause throttling of the ow of oil in its course thus far described.

The means for controlling the density..of the rewound roll of web material also include' a pipe S82 connecting pipe 72 with a selector valve 83 bymeans of which pipe 82 may be connectedselectively by `pipes 85 and 85a, respectively, to similar pressure chambers 84, 84a defined at the ends of the servomotors 64, `64a by pistons 86, 86a having piston rods 88, 88a which extend from the servomotors and are .pivoted to the upper ends 90, 90a of operating-levers 92, 92a. Theseievers are rockable about fixed fulcrums 94, 94a and haveryokes 96, 96a at their lower ends for shiftingshiftable members 98,9811 of clutches 36, 36a to disengage one or the other of the later in a generally well-understood manner. Within each servomotor and bearing against one end wall of each servomotor and against the pistons 86,.86a,.are compressed .coil springs 100, 10051 -which maintain the. clutches36,

36a normally iny engaged -or driving condition. .A .pipe 87 connects valve 83 to tank 66 through pipe 76.

To understand the operation of the described apparatus for soft-roll winding, it should be assumed that .the.lead ing vend of the web material is threaded pastthe rollers CII "12, 14, 16, 18 and 24 and that, by manual or jog rota- -very little web material thereon, is much lower than shown in the drawings or, i. e., at a level only sllghtly higher than rolls 24 and 26. In consequence, the cam member 78 is at such ya low level that roller 104 of throttling-control lever rests upon low area 106 of cam member 78, in which condition valve 74 is adapted to pass oil freely to tank 66.

ln the just-stated condition, starting of machine oper- .ation by star-ting the motors 28 and 40 will have the effect ofpositively driving -roller :Z2-and its core 102 through both-of the rollers 24'and 26, the latter two rollers being positively drivenbecause, when valve 74 is thus freely passing oil, springs 100, 100a maintain the clutches 36 and 36a engaged '-to cause such driving of the rollers 24 and 26. Operation in this fashion will ,cause a relatively small quantity of the Aweb material Vto accumulate on core 102.

As the =web material begins to build up, however,

ythe roller 104 .of valve arm 80 rides onto lthe high area 108 of cam member 78 and remains on that area throughvout the remainder of the winding of the web material onto ,roller 22 to form the roll or'rolls 10 or 10A and 10B. It should be understood that the cam member 78, like some other vparts .of the mechanism, is shown -diagrammatically and that the intermediate cam area 110 of said-member may give either a more or a less 4abrupttransition than shown, between the cam areas 106 .and 108; also, that the cam surface 108 may be shaped to yield either a gradual increase or a gradual decrease inthe throttling action of valve 74 throughout the winding of the web material upon the roller 22.

As, with early accumulation of the web on roller 22, the roller 104 rides -upon cam area-110 toward cam area'108, throttling becomes initiated and progressively increases in valve 74, whereupon pressure of the liquid in pipes 82, and pressure chamber 84 increases, gradually yovercoming the force of spring and grad- .ually disengaging clutch 36 until, when roller 104 closely approaches and reaches cam surface 108, the-throttling eiect in valve 74 establishes sufficient pressure in cham ber 84 to bring about complete disengagement of clutch 36.

At that point, accumulating roll 10 derives no driving effect from roller 26; on the contrary, the latter is driven frictionally by roll y10 subject, however, to a braking effect operative in brake 38 by reason of the fact that the throttled valve 74 has caused back pressure in the liquid against which the brake 38 is attempting to pump.

In the presence of the described braking effect, the roller 26 frictionally opposes movement past it of the outermost partial turn of web being wound upon roll 10 (or rolls 10A, 10B), said partial turn being indicated by the broken-line arrow.62; and this opposition has the effect of causing the web, in said partial turn, to become incorporated somewhat loosely into the roll 10. The ultimate effect of the continuance of such loose winding throughout the greater part of the accumulation of web as roll 10 is formed is that said'roll is formed as the desired tsoft roll.

It may be noted that the bearings 39 are shown as split or separable bearings, enabling them to be readily opened up to permit removal of a rewound roll 10 and vinsertion ofanother roller 22 in place.

To .achieve hard-roll winding, the selector lvalves 73 .Qassam vision `of the machine, the establishing of throttling action in the valve 74,-by the ascent of the cam 108 with shaft 22, causesclutch 36aA tobedisengaged and the already described braking effect to be established inroller` 24 while roller 26 continues tofbe driven positively by motor 28. In that condition, roller 26 is pulling on the outer, partial turn 62 of the web being` applied to the roll vwhile roller24 is working against that pul'lwith the result that the web is applied tightly to roll 10,'causing the latter to be a hard roll.

If the user of the machine desires to rewind web material without either hard-roll'or soft-roll emphasis, he merely opens by-pass valve 77, thereby preventing any Huid-pressure operation of` either of the servomotors v64, 64a. In that arrangement, the two rollers or drums 24 and 26 are both continuously driven in what maybe termed a straight through drive by motor 28, so that the density of the rewoundroll would depend largely upon the composition of theweb and' the manner in` which the web runs onto the roll 10.

The second embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 2, differs from that of Fig. 1 chiefly `in including `braking means associated only Awitlfrroller 'or drum 26 and* in having electric rather than hydraulic means for imparting such a'braking eflect.` A machine as and used accordingr to Fig. 2 yields soft-roll Winding. Thus, a solenoid 120 takes the place of servomotor 64, an electric brake which may advantageously be an eddy-current brake, diagrammatically indicated at 122, takes the place of hydraulic brake 38, a switch 124 takes the place of valve 74, and an electric circuit including wires, asfshown, interconnecting the mentioned electrical instrumentalities through a suitable source of electric energy 126 takes the place of the oil tank 66 and the various pipes shown'jin Fig: 1; The second embodiment Ydoes not require any instrumentalities to take the places of valves 73, 83 and 77.

A spring (not shown) insolenoid 120, or a separate spring if desired, operates through lever 92, when said solenoid is in de-energized condition, to maintain the clutch 36 normally engaged or in condition to enable motor 28 to drive roller 26. When said solenoid is energized, it operates magnetically, in opposition to the force of said spring, to disengage the clutch.

The electric brake is in non-braking condition when de-energized and in braking condition when energized; and the switch 124 is normally open as when its roller 130 is at cam area 106 and is closed when said roller is at cam area 108.

The apparatus of Fig. 2 operates very much like the described soft-roll arrangement of the apparatus of Fig. l. After the web W has been threaded and started on roller 22 as already explained, switch 128 is closed manually, thereby closing circuits through motors 28 and 40. This starts the mechanism into operation, the clutch 36 being engaged and thev roller 26 being driven by the motor 28.

The accumulation of an initial amount of web upon the roll 10 causes the roll 22 and its bearings 39 as well as cam member 78 to rise, causing roller 130 to roll toward and onto cam area 108 to operate arm 132 of switch 124 to close, through the latter, circuits through solenoid 120 and brake 122. This has the elect of disengaging the clutch 36 and of setting up braking eddy currents in brake 122 or of otherwise imparting a braking eiect to said brake to cause the latter to oier opposition to the movement past it of the outermost partial turn (indicated by broken-line arrow 62) of web being wound upon roll 10, causing a loose or soft wind of the web material on roll 10 as already explained with reference to Fig. 1.

Itshould be understoodA that, in the disclosed second embodiment, the roller 26 need not necessarily be driven at any time by the motor 28; hence, the invention could be practiced in its broader aspects even if gear 34, clutch 36 and solenoid 120 were omitted. In such an arrange-- ment, the roller 26 would function essentially as a brak-- ing roller and, if disposed as shown in the drawings, would function also to contribute to the supportof roller 1 22 and the web material thereon.

Those familiar with this art will perceive that, within this invention, one may substitute more or less equivalent electrical instrumentalities for the hydraulic instrumentalities of Fig. 1` to derive an electrically controlled machine Which'will wind either hard or soft rolls. It willl also be realized that electrical controls as shown ink Fig. 2 could be provided for roller or drum 24 but not for drum 26;` also, that hydraulic rather than electrical controlsv could be provided for either but not vfor both of drum 24,26. l

It is alsopossible, in any machine embodying the principles of this invention and wherein only one or the other l of drums 24, 26 has braking means associated therewith, to omit completely any drivingconnection, either straight through or clutch-controlled, between any direct driving means such as motor 28 and the drum 24 or 26 with. In such anv which the braking means is associated. arrangement, the braking drum will never function as a driving drum.

The foregoing description is based entirely upon ma-` chines in which the web W` is threaded therethrough as shown in Figs. l and 2.A To those familiar with this'art, i

it will be understoodthat with differentA web-threading arrangements and` with the described braking effect applied in dilerent ways, the user of a given machine within this invention may derive either soft-roll tn``hardrollI winding. This may be better understood by referenceV to Figs. 3-6, inclusive. i

Figs. 3 and 4 show diagrammatically the effect of a plying the braking eiect on one or the other of drums 24, 26 when the threading of the web is as shown in Figs. l and 2. Where the braking eiect is at drum 26 as in Fig. 3, the latter drum exerts a drag upon the oncoming web while drum 24 is pushing or advancing the web, whereby each new partial turn 62 of the web is loosely applied and a soft roll is derived. On the other hand, where the braking eiect is at drum 24 as in Fig. 4, the latter drum exerts a drag upon the oncoming web while drum 26 is pulling the advancing web against such drag, whereby each new partial turn 62 of the web is tightly applied and a hard roll is derived.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the web W may be threaded upwardly about the left side and top of drum 26 (as viewed in said figures), between drum 26 and roll 10, thence between the latter and roll 24 and onto roll 10.

This leaves a partial outer turn 62a of the web which is Iconsi-derably smaller than partial turn 62 but the l-ooseness or tightness of the partial turn 62a has the same eiect as with partial turn 62 upon the density of the resultant rewound roll. Thus, where, asin Fig. 5, the braking eiect is applied to drum 26, the partial turn 62a is applied tightly, resulting in a hard rewound roll.

rewound roll.

must be changed to change over from soft-roll winding to hard-roll winding, or vice versa.

It should be noted that for simplicity of diagramming,

However, if the braking eiect is applied to drum 24, as in Fig. 6, the f partial turn 62a is applied loosely, resulting in a soft;

the valves 73` and 83! are shown as `separate valves. As a practical matter, said val\{ e$ may be combined, at least operationally, Sio thatk they yare operable in unison by means of a single handle. Also, although a separate motor 28 has been shown for driving either or both of drums 24, 26, the latter may be driven by the same motor 40 which drives other illustrated drums or rollers.

It shouldY b apparent that .this invention achieves. the. stated objects very`simply and effectively; also, that windingV mechanisms including the disclosedl inventive concepts may be considerably` varied'without departing from the invention as set fprthfin the following claims.

I'claim:

l. In a winding mechanism, the combinationcompris.- ing aurotatable, winding roller ladapted to have web `material' wound thereona pair of rotatable drums upon which saidwinding roller rests with said drums in 'frictional engagement' with web material onl said winding roller at spaced circumferentialpoints of the latter, said winding roller being free to ascend as web material accumulates thereon, driving means adapted to drive one of said drums, means forl driving the other of said drums, means forbraking said other drum, a circuit interconnecting said two latter means and-control means in said circuit coacting with said winding roller during the latter's ascent, and through said circuit terminating thev driving of said other drum by said latter driving means and initiating the braking of said'other drum by said braking means.

2. The combination according. to claim 1, wherein said circuit and saidvcontrol means are hydraulic,

3. The combination according to claim l, whereinY said circuitand said control means are electrical.

4. The combination according to claimV 1, further including a cam member, constrainedfto -move-v with saidl winding roller duringthe latters ascent and arranged to operate said controlmeans to derive such termination of' driving,- and initiation of braking of'said other drum.

5. The combination according to claim 1, including, for said mentioned lone drum, means for braking it, a circuit interconnecting its saidA driving and braking means,

andk control' means .in saidlast-mentioned circuit coacting, with said win dir'1g. ro1ler` during the latters ascent, andf throughl said circuitterminating the driving of said'r one drum by its said drivingmeans and initiating the braking.

ofv said one drum by its saidbraking means.

6. The combination according to claim 5, further including selection means for conditioning said driving` means of either one vof saidA drums to discontinue its driving -ofV its related.drum duringthe ascent of said winding roller.

7. The combination accordingY to claim 5, further includinggselection means for incapacitating the braking'.

means, of either one of said drums, whereby to render said incapacitated braking means incapable of brakingits relateddrum during, the'ascent of said winding roller.

8. The combination4 according to claim 1, said latter driving means including a' motor for driving said other drum', and a clutcbeoperableibetween said motor and said other drum and responsive' to said control means to terminate such drivingofjsaid other'drum.

9.- Thecombination according to claim 8, said braking` meanscomprising-a hydraulic brake and the combination further including hydraulic operating means, hydraulically interconnected with said brake, for operating said clutch.

10. The combination according4 to claim 8, said braking means including-an electric brake and the combination further'including electrical operating means, electrically interconnected with saidbrake, for operating said' 

